General News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 September 1893, Page 9

General News

A contribution in Gaelic is printed in another part of this issue. A prize of half-a-guinea will be given for the best translation into English of the article, together with a criticism in Gaelic, The compositor who set up the article is in a depressed frame of mind, and inclined to doubt the tradition which makes Gaelic the language spoken in Eden. It is scarcely necessary to add that he is not a Highlander. Herr Erancik, the celebrated Austrian violinist, who is travelling through the colony mainly on a health tour, has consented to give a concert during his stay in Invercargill. It will take place in the Theatre Boyal on Tuesday, 26th. Herr Erancik, who was at one time violinist to the Queen of Boumania, has a great name as a soloist, and a large number of people will doubtless welcome the opportunity of hearing him on the prince of instruments. The “ New Australia ” emigrants have arrived at Monte Video. A mail for the Australian colonies closes at Invercargill at 1 p.m. on Monday. The Home Buie Bill has been rejected by the House of Lords by 419 to 41 votes. The losses through the miners’ strike in Britain are computed at twelve millions sterling. A parcels post will be established between Hew Zealand and New South Wales as from Ist October. The coal miners strike at Home was marked by riots, and on two occasions the troops fired on the disturbers and killed several. “ The Shame of Parliament ” is the title given by the Pall Mall Gazette to its account of the late scene in the House of CommonsThe Napier correspondent of the Christchurch Press states that the Eev. J. Hobbs, formerly of All Saints, Gladstone, is engaged to be married to a Miss Edwards.

The Courier reports that there is a great deal of sickness in the Tapanui district, severe colds, with feverishness and lassitude, being the chief complaints. The Government, we learn from the correspondent of the Taieri Advocate, are making special preparations to give women facilities to be enrolled as electors. “ Panic petitions ” against the female franchise are being signed in the hotels in Wellington. So reports the correspondent of the Otago Daily Times. At the opening of the cycling season on Weduesday the Garrison Baud played one of the contest pieces, “Verdi,” and handled it admirably. The Victorian Government has to impose a fresh Customs duty. The article selected is sugar, and the duty on that commodity will now be doubled. It is reported that a Pittsburg attorney has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in a plot to kill President Cleveland. It is alleged that he was to be assisted by a number of malcontent pensioners. A very successful social gathering, in celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of the establishment of Good Templary in the colony, was held in,,the Temperance Hall on Monday night. I will not (writes a Mataura correspondent) say anything about the weather this week, Mr Editor, as, no doubt, you know as much about it as I do; but, “ Whether it’s cold, or whether it’s hot. We’ve got to weather it whether or not.” A further contribution from Mr W. H. Mathieson appears this week, and another awaits publication. Mr Mathieson, telegraphing from Lyttelton on Thursday, requested us to state that he would be found at his office to-day, ready, as of yore, for “ biz.” A boy of sixteen named-David McKay, was committed for trial on Thursday on a charge of setting fire to a straw stack valued at £3, the property of Samuel Knock, of Drummond, fer whom the boy had been working. The boy’s father is dead, and his mother is in the lunatic asylum. At the half-yearly meeting of the Invercargill District, 1.0.0.F.,M.U., which was held on Wednesday night, the P.G.M., Bro. Latham, delivered an address, in the course of which he adduced facts and figures to show that the Order was far in advance of any other Friendly Society in the Colony. The ever-green E. S. Smythe is in London in search of “lions” for the lecture platform. It is said that he proposes to take with him to Australia some Irish and Socialist politicians as labourers in the lecture field, and the names of Messrs John Burns and M. Davitt are mentioned. Why not in New Zealand ? The Sydney Morning Herald of Sept. 2nd reports that an innovation in the form of taking depositions by means of a typewriter has been introduced in the Central Police Court. During the past week the principal deposition clerk has written the whole of the evidence taken in the Charge Division by means of the typewriter, and the result has been satisfactory. A stringent Sunday closing bill has been introduced in the South Australian Parliament. On a third offence a publican loses his license, and the customer is liable to a fine of from one to six months’ imprisonment. The Government oppose the measure, and it s unlikely to pass this session. In Sydney on the 18th inst. produce quota tions were —Wheat —Chick, 3s 2d; milling, nominally, 3s 6d. Flour (roller) £8 10s to £8 15s. , Oats —Bright heavy feed, 2s 9d ; Tartarian, 2s lid to 3s. Barley, Cape, 3s. Potatoes —New Zealand, £5 5s to £5 10s; Circular Heads, £6 to £6 10s. Butter— Dairy, lid ; factory, Is. Cheese, sd. Bacon (New Zealand), T-^d. The New Zealand Department of Agriculture, are raakiug experiments in potato culture, and in furtherance of that work are distributing small parcelsof seed potatoes amongst settlers, who are also supplied with forms in which they record the date of sowing and results for transmission to the Dept. Six varieties are available, and parcels may be obtained at the local Stock Office. A number of applications have already been received. The Farmers’ Alliance and Supply Company of New Zealand, which started operations a few months ago on a co-operative basis, is displaying a good deal of energy in bringing the advantages of membership under the notice of farmers. The position of manager is now held by Mr F. S. Cory, a gentleman who has bad considerable mercantile experience both at Home and in the Colonies. Polling for the election of representatives of the Third and South Wards in the Invercargillßorough Council took place on Thursday, and resulted in the return of Messrs McKeown and Eose for Third and South Ward respectively. The contest was a close one, Mr Eose only beating Mr F. G. Stone by two votes and Mr McKeown winning against Mr E. B. Mackay by six. The “ new blood ” in the Council is represented by Messrs Eose, McKeown and J. A. Hanan. At the last meeting of the Land Board, it ■was decided to discharge the reserve on section 7, block 2, Oteramika, and open the land for sale. The Stock Inspector, H. T. Turner, requested that section 57, block 1, Oteramika Hundred, might be dealt with in order that the rabbit pest may be combated. —It was decided that grazing rights over section be submitted at auction at the first land sale; upset 40s per annum.